Bad news: Global emissions are on the rise again.

A multi-year period of global economic growth and stable carbon emissions, heralded as a potential peak of humanity’s contribution to climate change, is over. Emissions are up again this year by an estimated 1 to 3 percent, now at the highest point in history, according to a new report:

There’s a simple fact hiding here: Day in and day out, we are making this problem harder for ourselves the longer we wait.

There are still good reasons for hope: The large-scale trends of renewable energy, electrification, and urbanization are moving in the right direction — just not fast enough. Without additional incentives to speed that process up, the chances of keeping climate change in check are quickly fading.